Breast Hat
by Ayame4679
Summary: Post-sequel, contains minor spoilers. Hiccup followed her gaze down and, to his horror, he realized she was grasping his helmet.


**(A/N: This interaction's been on my mind ever since I watched the sequel for the umpteenth time xD I tried my best to make them in character, but idk about some parts meh. I actually wrote this out of the blue late last night, so I apologize in advance for any awkward phrasings. Other than that, hope you enjoy!)**

The door to the Haddock household flew open with a loud thud, light spilling into the room as Hiccup stood at the entrance, slightly breathless. He'd only been chief for a couple weeks, but he was already overwhelmed with how much work needed to be done. Today was another one of those days.

"Hey, mom? How do you calm these baby dragons down again? I left Toothless back at the square to keep them from causing more trouble but they won't listen…"

He trailed off, glancing around at the seemingly deserted room. The living room that was usually occupied by his mom and her thoughts as she rested by the fireplace was eerily empty, the typical crackling of the fireplace replaced with dark ashes and burnt wood. He poked his head into the kitchen, scanning for any sign of her before making his way upstairs. The door to his room was slightly ajar as he cautiously made his way down the hallway, unsure if he was interrupting something as he peered inside.

Valka was settled at the foot of his bed, a faint smile on her face as she stared down at an object in her hands. His gaze followed hers down and, to his horror, he realized she was grasping his helmet. Momentarily losing his grip against the doorway, he stumbled inside, startling both himself and his mom.

"Oh Hiccup, you surprised me there." She nodded in greeting as Hiccup straightened himself up, awkwardly clearing his throat as he nodded in return. With an inquiring look, she held up the helmet in her hands.

"Is this your helmet?"

Hiccup coughed, fidgeting with his hands before he could finally open his mouth.

"Umm y-yeah! That's my helmet, right there… Haha…" How was that for casual?

His mom's expression changed to one of confusion, setting the helmet back on her lap as she traced one of the horns lightly.

"Why don't you ever wear it?"

Hiccup relaxed slightly, more comfortable discussing this aspect of the helmet than the topic he feared would be brought up: its origin.

"I'm not used to wearing helmets, I guess. I think it's been five years since I've worn my helmet. Actually, the last time I wore it, I almost lost it in the ocean! Luckily, Toothless found it for me, but I've left it at home since." He smiled at the memory, remembering the Snoggletog night that Toothless had finally returned after days of being missing. Needless to say, that was best Snoggletog he'd ever had.

His mom grinned, always eager when she learned more about the past adventures she hadn't been able to be around for. They had been making up for lost time as much as they could, but there was still so much she didn't know.

Hiccup returned her smile with one of his own, growing slightly uneasy as she returned her focus back towards his helmet, tracing each groove and bump tenderly. His mind raced with questions that he wanted to ask but refused to. Did she know?

* * *

"_Your mother would've wanted you to have it."_

_Hiccup perked up at the word 'mother', now eagerly eyeing the helmet that was handed to him. A helmet was a Vikings badge of honor, a source of pride. He traced his hand over the top, a "thank you" forming on his lips._

"_It's half of her breast plate." His dad continued emotionally. _

_Hiccup paused, reflexively lifting his hand away from the helmet as he gazed uncertainly back at his dad._

_Stoick tapped the helmet on his head, smiling warmly. "Matching set. Keeps her close, you know?" _

_Part of Hiccup wanted to feel touched at the gesture, being able to share a memory of his mom with his dad, but he couldn't stop staring at the mismatched helmets as he smiled weakly in response._

* * *

Hiccup was too busy mulling over his thoughts that he forgotten he'd gone silent for a long time, glancing back up to meet his mom's concerned eyes.

"Is something the matter, son?" She asked tentatively, taking in the distressed look on her son's face.

Hiccup shook his head rapidly, shooing away the thoughts out of his head as he directed his focus back to the present. "No no! I mean, it's just kind of weird talking to you about it after knowing what it's made of…" He paused, horrified that he'd brought it up. Out of habit, he reached up to scratch the back of his head like he always did when he felt uncomfortable as he anxiously gauged his mom's reaction.

All she did was stare back blankly, her brows scrunching in confusion as she eyed the helmet carefully.

"Aye. It's made of metal, is it not?"

Hiccup froze, waiting to see if she'd continue, but she merely met his eyes again, her gaze questioning. She didn't know… Oh Thor, how was he going to dig himself out of this? He opened his mouth to say anything, to explain what he actually meant and move away from the topic.

"Uhhh…" Well, there goes that idea. His mom's eyebrows rose, her expression confused as she watched Hiccup nervously scratch the back of his head again and shuffle his feet.

"Well, um, five years ago, when Dad-" Hiccup's voice faltered at the word, taking a deep breath before continuing. "When Dad gave me the helmet, he told me that it was made from… half of your, uh, breast plate." He mumbled the last two words, suddenly developing the urge to closely inspect the wooden cracks and splinters that lined his bedroom floor. A short silence filled the room, prompting him to sneak a glance back up towards where his mom was seated.

He watched her puzzled expression slowly melt to one of disbelief before she burst into laughter, clutching the helmet even closer to her. Hiccup was completely baffled, his embarrassment temporarily forgotten as he watched his mom's hearty laughs dissolve into small giggles before she recollected herself, her eyes shining with amusement.

"I never thought he'd follow through with that promise." She mused happily, staring at the helmet as if she was holding a gift from Odin himself.

"Promise?" Hiccup asked hesitantly, watching his mom shake out of her reverie and gaze back towards him once more, a light smile touching her face.

"Back then long before you came into this world, I was sent on one of your father's many searches for the dragon nest. He had Gobber fashion me a suit of armor to protect me should there be a dragon attack during the voyage." Her gaze darkened as she continued. "Needless to say, I hated their drive to hunt down and kill a dragon's home and I refused to go on another search. I packed the armor away in the back of my closet, for I had no need for it back on Berk. I had almost forgotten I had it, but one day when I was pregnant with you, your father mentioned that he might use the metal from the breast plates on my armor to fashion a helmet for himself and for you." She paused, chuckling as she shook her head in disbelief. "Thor knows where that idea came from. He said that he'd give you this helmet when he decided you were ready to fight dragons, and that the helmet would keep me close to you when I wasn't nearby."

Hearing a story from his mom and dad's past fascinated Hiccup, and he listened intently to every word. With a jolt, he realized the implications of what she had said. So his helmet wasn't just half of his mom's breast plate on its own, it was a helmet forged _using_ the metal from his mom's breast plate! Well that might explain the mismatched helmets… He shook his head, refusing to think further on that thought. To be honest, the information made him feel a lot better.

He glanced up, noticing his mom's expectant expression, offering a small smile.

"Well, you're definitely close to me now." His mom's expression softened as she returned the smile, sharing the short silence briefly before standing up, the bed slightly creaking from the lessened weight. She traced a hand over the helmet once more before setting it back on his dresser gently, finally walking towards him and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"So, did you need me for something? I heard you mention something about baby dragons when you walked in."

Hiccup's eyes widened in realization, remembering the chaos that had been occurring back in the village square. He nodded feverishly and set course back down the stairs towards the front door, his mom close behind.

Valka smiled as she listened to her son ramble about the destroyed stables and other nuisances the baby dragons were causing while they walked down the familiar pathways leading to the center of the village. She could already make out the frantic figures of the baby dragons racing around in a circle along with Toothless chasing them down just ahead. Cloudjumper was settled on a patch of grass nearby, merely watching the chaos ensue with an amused expression. Hiccup ran ahead into the middle of the dragons, motioning for them all to stop, only to get tackled by two of the hyperactive baby dragons. With a laugh, Valka ran towards the group, getting to Hiccup's side as Toothless helped her son to his feet. It was good to be back home.


End file.
